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What Is Cub Scouting?

Mission Statement

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over
their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Scout Oath

Scout Law

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

A Scout is:

Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind

Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent

Vision Statement

The Boy Scouts of America is the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based
leadership training.

In the future Scouting will continue to

Offer young people responsible fun and adventure;

Instill in young people lifetime values and develop in them ethical character as expressed in the
Scout Oath and Law;

Train young people in citizenship, service, and leadership;

Serve America's communities and families with its quality, values-based program.

The Purposes of Cub Scouting

Since 1930, the Boy Scouts of America has helped younger boys through Cub Scouting. It is a year-round
family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of
age). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting. Currently,
Cub Scouting is the largest of the BSA's three membership divisions. (The others are
Boy Scouting and
Venturing.)

The ten purposes of Cub Scouting are:

Character Development

Spiritual Growth

Good Citizenship

Sportsmanship and Fitness

Family Understanding

Respectful Relationships

Personal Achievement

Friendly Service

Fun and Adventure

Preparation for Boy Scouts

Membership

Cub Scouting members join a Cub Scout pack and are assigned to a den, usually a neighborhood group of six
to eight boys. Tiger Cubs (first-graders), Wolf Cub Scouts
(second graders), Bear Cub Scouts (third graders), and Webelos
Scouts (fourth and fifth graders) meet weekly.

Once a month, all of the dens and family members gather for a pack meeting under the direction of a
Cubmaster and pack committee. The committee includes parents of boys in the pack and members of the
chartered organization.

Volunteer Leadership

Thousands of volunteer leaders, both men and women, are involved in the Cub Scout program. They serve in a
variety of positions, as everything from unit leaders to pack committee chairmen, committee members, den
leaders, and chartered organization representatives.

Like other phases of the Scouting program, a Cub Scout pack belongs to an organization with interests
similar to those of the BSA. This organization, which might be a church, school, community organization,
or group of interested citizens, is chartered by the BSA to use the Scouting program. This chartered
organization provides a suitable meeting place, adult leadership, supervision, and opportunities for a
healthy Scouting life for the boys under its care. Each organization appoints one of its members as a
chartered organization representative. The organization, through the pack committee, is responsible for
providing leadership, the meeting place, and support materials for pack activities.

Who Pays For It?

Groups responsible for supporting Cub Scouting are the boys and their parents, the pack, the chartered
organization, and the community. The boy is encouraged to pay his own way by contributing dues each week.
Packs also obtain income by working on approved money-earning projects. The community, including parents,
supports Cub Scouting through the United Way, Friends of Scouting enrollment, bequests, and special
contributions to the BSA local council. This financial support provides leadership training, outdoor
programs, council service centers and other facilities, and professional service for units.

Advancement Plan

Recognition is important to young boys. The Cub Scout advancement plan provides fun for the boys, gives
them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult
family members work with boys on advancement projects.

Tiger Cub

The Tiger Cub program is for first grade (or age 7) boys and their adult partners. There are five Tiger Cub
achievement areas. The Tiger Cub, working with his adult partner, completes 15 requirements within these
areas to earn the Tiger Cub Badge. These requirements consist of an exciting series of indoor and outdoor
activities just right for a boy in the first grade.

Tiger Cubs wear the complete blue Cub Scout uniform with appropriate Tiger Cub insignia. The orange T-shirt
will continue to be available for Tiger Cubs to wear as an activity shirt and will continue to be the
official uniform for adult Tiger Cub partners.

Bobcat

The Bobcat rank is for all boys who join Cub Scouting.

Wolf

The Wolf program is for boys who have completed first grade (or are age 8). To earn the Wolf badge, a boy
must pass twelve achievements involving simple physical and mental skills.

Bear

The Bear rank is for boys who have completed second grade (or are age 9). There are 24 Bear achievements in
four categories. The Cub Scout must complete 12 of these to earn the Bear badge. These requirements are
somewhat more difficult and challenging than those for Wolf rank.

Webelos

This program is for boys who have completed third grade (or are age 10). A boy may begin working on the
Webelos badge as soon as he joins a Webelos den. This is the first step in his transition from the Webelos
den to the Boy Scout troop. As he completes the requirements found in the Webelos Scout Book,
he will work on activity badges, attend meetings led by adults, and become familiar with the Boy Scout
requirements - all leading to the Arrow of Light Award.

Arrow of Light Award

The Arrow of Light Award is the highest rank in Cub Scouting. After a boy has completed the fourth grade
and earned the Webelos badge, the next step on the Webelos trail to becoming a Boy Scout is earning this
award.It is the only Cub Scout badge that can be worn on the Boy Scout Uniform. As a boy works on the Arrow
of Light, he gets a chance to practice some Scout skills that he has already learned, earn more Activity
Badges, and really learn what a Boy Scout is. Because this award is so special, a special ceremony is
usually performed by the Pack.

Activities

Cub Scouting means "doing." Everything in Cub Scouting is designed to have the boys doing things.
Activities are used to achieve the aims of Scouting - citizenship training, character development, and
personal fitness.

Many of the activities happen right in the den and pack. The most important are the weekly den meetings and
the monthly pack meetings.

Cub Scout Academics and Sports

The Cub Scout Academics and Sports program provides the opportunity for boys to learn new techniques,
increase scholarship skills, develop sportsmanship, and have fun. Participation in the program allows boys
to be recognized for physical fitness and talent-building activities.

Camping

Age-appropriate camping programs are packed with theme-oriented action that brings Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts,
and Webelos Scouts into the world of imagination. Day camping comes to the boy in neighborhoods across the
country; resident camping is at least a three-day experience in which Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts camp
within a developed theme of adventure and excitement. "Cub Scout Worlds" are used by many councils to carry
the world of imagination into reality with actual theme structures of castles, forts, ships, etc. Cub Scout
pack members enjoy camping in local council camps and other council-approved campsites. Camping programs
combine fun and excitement with doing one's best, getting along with others, and developing an appreciation
for ecology and the world of the outdoors.

Publications

Volunteers are informed of national news and events through Scouting magazine (circulation
900,000). Boys may subscribe to Boys' Life magazine (circulation 1.3 million). Both are
published by the Boy Scouts of America. Also available are a number of Cub Scout and leader publications,
including the Tiger Cub Handbook, Wolf Cub Scout Book, Bear Cub Scout
Book, Webelos Scout Book, Cub Scout Leader Book, Cub Scout Program
Helps, and Webelos Leader Guide.

Cub Scouting Ideals

Apart from the fun and excitement of Cub Scout activities, the Cub Scout Promise, the Law of the Pack, the
Tiger Cub motto, and the Cub Scout sign, handshake, motto, and salute all teach good citizenship and
contribute to a boy's sense of belonging.

Cub Scout Promise

I, (name), promise to do my best To do my duty to God and my country, To help other people, and
to obey the Law of the Pack.